What Came Before
by OfFiCiAl.TwIlIgHtEr
Summary: Stories about all the Akatsuki's lives before joining the Akatsuki and how they eventually found the Akatsuki. Starting with Hidan, ending with Tobi founding the Akatsuki. 2 chapters per character.


"Hidan," his mother asked, as he knew she would, "what happened at school today

**A/N:** I don't know what made me come up with this idea in the first place, but I ended up liking it enough to write more than I have so far, ever, for anything. I also ended up liking it enough to put everything else I'm writing right now on a hiatus. Sorry for any mistakes I've probably made (Hidan's body won't heal itself, I know, it always bothers me when other people do that, so that would be why I'm putting this here) ect. I'll try not to make too many, but if I do, please know that I probably meant for it to be like that. Also… I know my writing is crappy. Totally not my fault. Well, it is, but… whatever….

Also, it's been a while since I last posted ANYTHING, and I'm really sorry about this, but I'm trying to fix this problem, I promise. It's just that sometimes life gets in the way, ect.

Thank you to my friends (**Golden Fantasies; MoonRainShadow; xXBlackIvyXx**) for helping me edit this and come up with ideas for it.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto, nor do I have any sarcastic comments to make about not owning it & how if I did own it everything would be better, ect.

**Warning:** Not really necessary this time, but I feel like adding it anyway. Hidan has a sad childhood, OOCs, OCs…. Yeah… that's about it. Oh, yeah. Totally random story. That I got from (DUN DUN DUUUN!!) -insert creepy background music- MY MIND!!

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"Hidan," his mother asked, as he _knew_ she would, "what happened at school today? Why do you let them just beat you up like this? You could scare them off if you want you. Why don't you? You could _kill_ them, if you had to. Jashin-sama demands you kill them, total destruction. Not even fighting back? That's definitely a sin. I'm sorry, Hidan, but this has to stop."

Hidan had just come home, but instead of having only a bruise or two, as was normal for him, his body was covered in large, deep gashes.

"Mom. MOM! Stop. You know why I don't fight back. They already think I'm enough of a freak. And I don't want to fight anyone from my own village. I know others do and everyone accepts it when they do it, but if I did it… my hair, my eyes, our religion- even our fucking religion…. I'm already enough of a monster without having to kill the people who are supposed to be my friends. Besides, look at you. Everyone at least accepts you. You've got friends, too. Maybe if I can show them how I'm different from… from him, everyone will like me, too, then. That's all I want. Acceptance. For being who I am and not because my father's one of the richest men in the village."

That's who Hidan was. The town's reject. All because his father had come from nowhere, met his mom, taught a few people about his religion, killed a few hundred people with said select group, and left. Then, 6 months later, Hidan was born. It only took a few moments for the doctors to figure out who the father was.

Hidan, 15 years later, looked exactly like a miniature version of his father. He had the same hair, same eyes, same arrogance that everyone hated in his father, and hates in him. But he wasn't arrogant at all. He was, just not underneath it all. He was really just a normal teenager. Normal except for the fact that he was immortal.

That's what this whole thing was about, really. He, like many other Jashinists, was immortal. He was proud of it. He was proud to be who he was. He was proud of his God, also. He just wanted to be normal more. So he pretended that he wasn't like other Jashinists and hadn't been given the gift by his God. He pretended the other kids at school could actually _hurt_ him with kunai and other shit like that. Because if he didn't, the villagers would run him out of the town, especially if they thought they had even half a chance of not being killed.

His mom wished he would fight back at least once, but he always gave her the same answer: "No, I don't want to be thought of as a monster."

So, he had lived out his life so far going by these rules, doing what adults told him to, doing whatever the crowd did, only fighting enemies. But of course, he showed a little of himself. He was arrogant, loud, and sarcastic. Exactly what everyone expected of him. But no one had expected him to be so loyal. He'd always complete a mission, no matter what level, no matter the danger, no matter how many people he'd have to kill. So, many of the older, influential members of the town had started looking at him as a weapon. Since he was 5.

If someone gave him a mission, he'd stay out as long as he needed to so that he could be sure it was done perfectly.

"Hidan? What's wrong? You look… contemplative."

"Nothing, mom. I've got a mission tomorrow, so can we have dinner? I want to go to sleep early tonight."

"Oh, sure, honey. That's fine. Who's going with you this time?"

"No one. Why do you even bother asking? No one ever wants to go with me. Apparently they think I'll kill them if they get in my way, or something like that."

"Hidan…." He could tell she wanted to comfort him, but was restraining herself, and for that, he was glad.

"Ha. See? I'm fine now."

He turned around to so that she could see the quickly disappearing cuts all over his arms and chest. Thanks to Jashin-sama, he'd never had to worry about being killed or getting hurt when on one of those rare missions that he found a bit difficult and sometimes even slightly dangerous.

-At dinner-

"So… where are you going tomorrow?" It was an innocent enough question, but with Amaya… you just always had to be careful.

"Amegakure. It's simple enough. Go in, check on what's going on with the civil war there, get out."

_But she doesn't need to know…. It would only worry her more than necessary. To everyone else… I've gotten sick of being here and left. No one cares about me, here, anyways. I'm not leaving anything. Besides, I'm not even sure if they're going to let me in. I'll probably come back. And if I get in… she'll understand._

What Hidan was thinking about was a meeting he had arranged with the mysterious leader of one of the fighting parties in Amegakure. Some called him God. Others, who knew better, called him Leader or Pein. Hidan didn't care about the name, he just wanted a new life. A new life away from here. Away from this village and his tormentors.

Amaya looked slightly worried, so Hidan quickly rearranged his features into something he hoped was more pleasant. He didn't need _her_ worrying about him when he was already worried enough about how he'd pull this off.

-In his room-

That night, he packed the usual- food, weapons, clothes- but in with the normal, he put a few extra things: extra food, extra exploding seals, and the 3-bladed scythe he had gotten for his 12th birthday, along with a note:

_This is for the Ritual. Use it well and only in the service of Jashin-sama. _

_Father._

He understood how do to the ritual, even if he'd never actually _practiced_ it. But something told him to bring it on this mission. You never know, he may actually get to use it.

-The next day-

And that was how, the next day, he came to be standing outside of his house, for possibly the last time, saying a normal goodbye to his mom.

"Be careful, ok, honey?"

"Un. Sure, mom."

"You _can_ fight these people, if you need to."

"I know. Seriously. It'll be easy, I already told you."

"Ok…." She still sounded unsure, and as much as Hidan wanted to comfort her, he knew he couldn't. Not this time, possibly never again.

He started walking away from his only family. From everything he knew. From, as much as he hated it, his only home.

-A few hours later-

He had gotten pretty far, farther than he thought he'd get by now. He decided to stop and rest, because at the rate he was going currently, he'd probably get there in three to four hours. Plus, he was hungry. And, he was nearing the town he'd first heard about Akatsuki from.

As soon as he walked in the gates of the small town, people started calling greetings to him.

"Hey, Hidan! You get another mission? Those people really overwork you!"

"Hey, Kanaye! Maybe they do, but I like traveling! It's much better than being stuck in one area."

"Whatever, you say, man, but I'd prefer to just stay in one place."

"I'll keep that in mind, Kanaye, but sometime maybe I'll bring you with me and show you what I'm talking about. I think you'd like it."

"Hidan! I was starting to think you'd forgotten about us. You haven't been by in a while!" The butcher's wife. She'd taken Hidan in like a fourth child before she even knew his name.

"How you doing, kid?" The baker, nice guy. Sometimes he'd given Hidan free bread.

"HIDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN! Man! I was starting to think you'd never come back! Where're you going this time?" At the sight of his blonde, slightly girly-looking best friend, Hidan felt better than he had in months. As much as he loved the house he and his mother shared, and loved his village (not the people in it, and you had to go deep down to find his love for his village), being here, where everyone accepted him, where he actually had great friends, he knew he was safe and could be totally himself. Especially around Zen.

"Hey, man. How's life?" Hidan really wanted to go somewhere other than the middle of the street and find out more about the Akatsuki, he restrained himself, knowing it was important not to arouse anyone's suspicions. Or curiosity, for that matter.

"I'm fine, Hidan."

Hidan quickly made a normal enough looking gesture with his hand- running it through his hair, but which to Zen meant "I need to talk. Get us out of here."

"Hey, I've got something to really cool to show you. Come on. I left it over by the pond."

-At the pond-

"So, why're we over here?" Zen was interested, Hidan could tell, but didn't let on too much.

"You know the Akatsuki. You told me about them. I seem to remember you saying at one point in time that your brother is with them…."

Zen picked up on what Hidan was getting at and said, "Hidan. You know I love you like a brother. I don't want you going to the Akatsuki. I know you hate your life and shit, but… isn't this a bit extreme? Nii-san joined, but he was… tricked into joining. If it was his choice, they'd probably be in pieces right now. I know him. I know what he'd do, and it would definitely NOT be to join those bastards.

"He sent me a letter after he joined and from what he said, they'd bet he couldn't beat one of their other members in a battle. If he lost, he'd have to join. And apparently it was unfair, like they didn't let on how strong he really was, or something. I don't know, but what I do know is that I don't want to lose another brother to them. They're just freaks. Manipulative bastards. That's all. They don't care about you or your life. They just care about getting what they want."

"Well, I'm used to people not caring about me, and if they're freaks and manipulative bastards, well, I'll fit right in. I mean, really. I'm immortal, I have SILVER hair, I have fucking PINK eyes, (**A/N: LOL. Hidan's an albino!**) I mean how unnatural is that?! Not to mention that my father is probably dead somewhere, I worship a God many people have never even heard of and would call a cult religion if they had. And many other things I don't care about mentioning at this point in time, but which you know about."

It was true. All of it, it was why Hidan had always been rejected and feared. Zen knew it. Everyone in this tiny village knew it, but ignored all the oddities, because there was something strange about all of them, too. It hurt Zen to do it, but he agreed with Hidan. Zen quickly told him which roads to take to get to Amegakure quickly and not be seen. All the while knowing he'd probably never see his friend again, that although he'd tried to stop it from happening, he was going to lose another brother to the Akatsuki. _Damn them. Damn them all to hell. God. Why'd I ever even mention them at all? If I hadn't… Hidan wouldn't be leaving, I'd still have a brother and… and Hidan would still be miserable. I've got to do this. So Hidan can be happy. For once in his life. God help him. And if he ever needs to leave that goddamn Akatsuki, lead him to the right place, the right people, who will help him escape._

-On the way to Amegakure-

Hidan: _I should probably be arriving in an hour or two. This road really _is_ less traveled. I haven't seen a person since I left Zen. I hope I see him again someday…._

Kakuzu: _Shit. I probably should've listened closer to Leader. Then I wouldn't be lost _and_ not know what the bastard's supposed to look like. This really sucks. Damn it. I wonder how much money I've got... Zetsu's probably following me… I could probably just yell out to him and ask him what the fucker looks like... Maybe I should… no, no, I can't he'd go back and tell Leader, then I'd get in trouble, then I'd get my pay cut. Damn! Why did Leader have to send _**me?**_ I mean, really. He could've sent Deidara, or something. He should know already there's a greater chance I'll kill him before we even get back to the base…._

(**A/N: The next part is SOLELY the fault of MoonRainShadow. So, if you like it, I'll tell her, if you don't, it's not my fault and I'll tell her anyway. JK, but now you know why it suddenly changes writing styles & all that shit.**)

"DUDE! WHAT THE FUCK?! Watch where you're fucking going!" (Kakuzu)

"OH HELL NO! YOU watch where YOU'RE going, dumbshit!" (Hidan)

"Exuse me, you little bastard, do you have ANY idea who you're talking to?" (Kakuzu)

"Do you think I give a damn! Screw you! Now I will be on may way Fuck you very much!" Hidan got up and rolled his eyes at the cloaked man who was wearing a mask that covered his face. That was all Hidan got to observe before….

"YOU DID NOT JUST ROLE YOUR EYES AT ME!" (Kakuzu)

"Damn straight I did! What the hell to you plan to do about it?" (Hidan)

-In Amegakure-

"Let's see…. According to this, it should be… right over there."

And there it was, the headquarters of the Akatsuki. The place he would be living for the rest of his life. _No, no. I'm not sure if I'll even get in. I can't be thinking like this already._

It looked like all the other buildings in the village, but this one was… different. In a way that slightly creeped him out, but that he liked, in a sadistic-y sort of way. He didn't know how, but he was sure this was the right place. The right place for him. The right place for him to be. For the rest of his life.

He pushed open the door and entered the dingy hallway. It wasn't exactly to his taste. Cobwebs, broken lights, and just a basic feeling of… depression in general stopped anything from being _accidentally_ cheery. Like the flowers put there, probably by a girl member, which looked like they'd been killed by the atmosphere surrounding them. Which, although to most people would be ominous and eerie, only encouraged Hidan more. He started to explore the room. Then, about 1 minute after he'd first entered the building, a man entered the room- _'the hell's wrong with these people!? That dude's BLUE!_-. After marveling at the abnormal color of the man's skin for another few seconds, he realized the tall, blue man had spoken to him.

"Uh… yeah. Wait. What?"

"Tch. I _said_ Leader's expecting you, and to follow me. I'm Kisame, just so you know in the future. By the way, you may want to pay attention to what the people around here are saying. Some of the people here have _very_ short tempers, and if you value your life, you'll listen to them and do what they say the first time they give you an order. Unless you have a severe death wish. Like… say I was Kakuzu-san, you'd get killed for not paying attention to me- probably by a stab to the heart, or Sasori-san, you'd get killed- probably poisoned- for wasting my time."

And he went on to give a full explanation of what would piss each of the other Akatsuki members off enough to kill Hidan- or, in the case of… Itachi-san- _Weasel….?!-_ be driven crazy by his genjustu- and how they'd then proceed to kill Hidan. Hidan, to be perfectly honest, found the whole explanation quite tiring and pointless. If they really wanted to kill Hidan, they'd have to try MUCH harder than a stab through the heart or- insert Hidan laughing quietly at this- _poison_. Hadn't this Leader guy told them he was immortal? But maybe he was a psychopath and wanted to see how long it took Hidan to do something stupid, making them try to kill him, only to find out the hard way that Hidan just _happens_ to be immortal….

"So… what does this 'Leader' guy look like?" Hidan's attempt at talking to the guy who had introduced himself as Kisame was pretty pathetic, but it got rid of the awkward silence that had stretched out after he had finished his "what not to do" speech.

"That's a good question. No one really knows-"

"Wait. You mean that even though some of you have been here for centuries, you don't even know what your employer looks like?"

"That's right. Well, there's a chance some of us know what he looks like- Kakuzu, Zetsu, and Sasori are the oldest members, so they'd probably know what he looks like. But for the rest of us, we can only guess. We've only seen Konan- that's Leader's assistant- a few times without the screen we have when sealing bijuu or meeting from far away. You'll see some interesting jutsu here, be prepared. Mostly they're Leader's doing, but we do have some strong people here."

"Kisame. Shut up." The monotone voice seemed to come from nowhere. "He doesn't need to know anything else. He doesn't even need to know what you just told him. If you say one more word, I'll kill you."

Kisame seemed totally unperturbed by the threat from nowhere, however. "Wow, Itachi-san. You're talking a lot today. What's the occasion? Your birthday? Or are you excited about having a new member?"

"…"

Hidan immediately knew the silence meant that he wasn't going to kill anybody- or hurt anyone for that matter-, but Itachi was extremely pissed at everyone- most likely for some stupid reason and wouldn't stop pouting for a while. Or maybe just because he felt like it. (**A/N: quick inside joke, sorry. So… how does this make you feel? … Angry. That's great!**) _Note to self: never get Uchiha Itachi mad. Has "Sharingan", angered easily._

"Is this Hidan?" Some random, blond, girly-looking…. Deidara.

"Yes, I'm Hidan. And I'm guessing you're Deidara?" Hidan said this while looking the blonde up and down. _Wow. Zen was right. They really _are_ identical!_

"Yup. That's me. You're good friends with Zen, right? That's nice. How is Zen? Good, I bet."

"Good…? Not exactly…. Last time I saw him he was kind of freaking out about me coming here to join up with you freaks, if that can give you any idea." _How the hell are you supposed to answer someone when they answer their own fucking questions?! Oh, joy. I'm really gonna have fun here._

Deidara wasn't phased at all by this.. "Yeah, little idiot's always been kinda weak. Don't worry about him, either way Do you want to meet everyone else? Of course you do. Come on!"

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I'M. SO. TIRED. OF. THIS!! So I've to decided to just make this into another chapter thing that I'll probably NEVER finish, anyway. But, never fear, the second chapter has already been started, because it's either add another page and a half of this (that's about how long I'd need it to be, more like 3-4 pages to finish the story badly) and I'd be done. But it would be rushed, terrible, and overall just plain crappy. So I'm putting this up now and continuing with this and other unfinished fan fictions.

YAY ME!!

XP

NEXT CHAPTER: Meeting the Akatsuki


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